Winning
by cutecrazyice
Summary: "Isn't it fun? All this gossip about Shikamaru putting the moves on Sakura – he's moving, alright. For such a lazy ass, he's moving. It's pretty impressive." Sasuke was not impressed. SasuSaku


**_a/n_**_: Hah. Another flash fic. YAY.  
><strong>for<strong>: Unicorn Paige, who posted the first request comment. Her prompt was SasuSaku, winning. Aaah, I'm not creative at all with titles at this time. Haven't slept. Lol. If you want to request for something, just go to my author's page_. _There's a link there to direct you to my lj entry. :)  
><strong>warning<strong>: This was done in between flailing over lj icons and Eunhyuk's sexy dancing skills on Youtube, so it's unbeta-ed and...yeah. I was distracted, okay? 8D_

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><p><strong>Winning<strong>  
><em>by: cutecrazyice<em>

. . .

The first time he heard about Shikamaru joining a strawberry-eating contest and Sakura taking a day off from her hospital work just to cheer for him, Sasuke put on the most unreadable expression he could manage and ignored Naruto's loud yapping in his ears.

"Isn't it fun? All this gossip about Shikamaru putting the moves on Sakura – he's moving,alright. For such a lazy ass, he's _moving. _It's pretty impressive."

Silence.

"Isn't it impressive, teme?"

"Hn."

Translation: hell, no. It was lame.

"I'm really, really curious about all this. I mean, why would Sakura take the day off from her work? She rarely does that! She never even has time for us anymore! I think she's responding to his signals."

Silence.

"Hey, teme, want to check it out? Want to see what's up? Want to see if he's trying to seduce—"

"Let's just go, dobe."

. . .

The contest was held in the main street, right where most festivals for their village were held as well. There was already a crowd gathered around a huge platform where tables upon tables were set, and in the center of those tables were baskets and baskets of the village's biggest strawberries. How they managed to find this much in such a short amount of time, no one could really figure out.

Not that it mattered.

This was lame, so lame. Sasuke scoffed, wondering who on earth (other than that weird Nara boy) would join such a pathetic display—

"Shikamaru!"

Sakura's voice interrupted his thoughts. Tilting his head to the side, Sasuke could just make out his teammate approach the Nara boy with a grin on her face, and – was she wearing a dress?

"I know you're going to do so well," she said excitedly. "Don't even worry about it. Chouji and I will be behind you one hundred percent. You've got this in the bag."

Shikamaru smirked. "I know. Thanks."

_He knows? Thanks?_

After another pep talk and a really tight hug (to which the Nara boy just said _thanks, I appreciate the support_), Sakura finally went back to sit beside Chouji (who was already well-prepared in his cheering chair with lots of junk food in his lap), passing by Sasuke and Naruto on her way. She gave them a surprised look before grinning, eyes sparkling in excitement.

_For that pineapple-haired boy?_

"Are you guys here to cheer for Shikamaru, too?" she asked.

Naruto nodded his head eagerly. "Well, we really just came by to see what's all this about, but now that you mention it—"

"I'm joining."

The blunt words were enough to have Naruto shutting up and Sakura looking at the black-haired Uchiha in curiosity.

"Really, Sasuke-kun?"

Naruto frowned. "But I thought you hated straw—"

"Let's go, dobe."

. . .

Shikamaru was winning.

There was only one basket left and a few more minutes to go, and Nara Shikamaru was winning.

This. Just. Won't. Do.

"Temeeee! You can do this! Stop frowning and just stuff your mouth fast!" Naruto's voice carried over the cheering crowd (correction: cheering fangirls) like a parrot that wanted to be heard above a flock of overexcited lovebirds. Sasuke would have listened, really, if not for the sight of green eyes switching back and forth between him and Shikamaru, anticipation in her expression and a worried smile on her lips.

_Who was she worried for?_

_That Nara boy?_

Sasuke scoffed.

"TEME! STOP BEING ALL BROODY AND SULKY AND JUST EAT EVERYTHING."

Oh, right.

Heeding the loud blond's advice, Sasuke proceeded to eat everything in sight.

. . .

He woke up to the sounds of shuffling and warm hands on his face.

"Oh, good. You're awake now."

The voice, light and relieved, made his onyx eyes snap open in an instant. There was a flash of blurry pink before his vision focused and he saw her sitting and smiling down at him, then removing his hair gently from his forehead. Normally he would have hated any kind of touch from anyone, but this he didn't mind.

Not that he let her know.

"Hn."

"I was so worried about you."

_She was?_

"Hn."

"I mean, seriously, Sasuke-kun? What on earth made you think you could finish all that? No wonder you passed out. I know Shikamaru could do it—"

He frowned. He didn't pass out. It was merely indigestion.

And Shikamaru _again?_

"—but you…you _hate _strawberries. If you couldn't finish it, just don't. You didn't have to finish it all for some stupid pride and getting all affected by Naruto's goading. It doesn't matter, anyway. Shikamaru still won, just as it should it be."

Just as…it should be?

The frown grew deeper in his mouth as he stared at her, green waves inwardly rolling around him in spades.

"I loved that he won. It made me so happy."

"Hn."

"He really deserves it. He's so hardworking and he really wanted this."

"Hn."

"Now he totally impressed Ino and I've done my matchmaking duties."

"Hn – what?"

"They're on their first date after so freaking long and it's about time they got together. She's so blind and he's so stubborn and I really didn't know what to do. I'm _so _glad it worked or I would have pulled my hair out already and…"

She was talking, talking so much, but he couldn't hear anything above the roaring in his head and the loud drumming of his heart. She didn't take the day off to see Shikamaru win for her. She wasn't cheering for Shikamaru because she liked him back.

The rumors were false.

Suddenly it was so clear what he should be doing. Right now. Right _now._

Tugging Sakura by the wrist, he used his other arm to prop himself up, inwardly wincing at the slight pain in his stomach. Then that pain was all forgotten as the pink-haired medic's eyes widened – the greenest he'd ever seen them, wary and hesitant and every speck beautiful.

"It's good he won, then," he grunted.

Then he inched up until his mouth was pressed against hers, and her initial surprise (her stained cheeks were a pretty, pretty sight), followed by her quiet, quiet moan was enough to have him smirking.

Seconds later, he forgot to smirk as she deepened the kiss.

. . .

Twenty-four hours later…

"I won."

Naruto stared at Sasuke as if he was crazy.

"Eeeh? No, you didn't. Are you crazy?"

Sasuke simply smirked.

"I won."

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><p><strong><em>an_**_: Thank you for reading! :)_


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